KPL Awards And The Defense Curse

Share This

The recent SportPesa Premier League Awards revealed the long held belief that it will take defenders another leg and head to win a major award beyond Defender of the Year. Gor Mahia prodigy Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma and Western Stima midfielder Kenneth Muguna were competing in two categories. New Player of the Year(Rookie of the Year) and Player of the Year (MVP) while Muguna was also nominated for Midfielder of the Year which he bagged, Ouma failed to capture Defender of the Year which went to old wine, Jokins Atudo of Posta Rangers.

It is like the recent US Presidential elections where it only took Donald Trump to be rich and white while a black Barack Obama had to have the right degree from a prestigious university, a superb wife, and strong family values and zero skeletons in the closet to enter White House. That’s the odds goal keepers, defenders and defensive midfielders face against attacking midfielders and strikers.

Disclaimer, I did not watch many KPL matches this season as I have done in the past. I watched Eric Ouma play severally after seeing many people praise him on social media. If Muguna had received such reviews I bet I would have spared time to get a glimpse of what he is made off. For this reason, I will not dwell so much on Muguna but for a player his age to get three nominations and bag two, he must be worth his salt. On the other end, if such a player can grace KPL for a whole season and fail to grab the attention of news makers, then there is a problem along the Sports Avenue of our Fourth Estate.

Eric Ouma went from being an untried rookie at K’ogallo to grabbing the left-back position from Abuba Sibomana and then cementing his place on the national team, all in one season. He is a lad you will think is a seasoned player in top flight football. Yet for his efforts and grace, he could not match a midfielder in the eyes of voters.

This trend is not new, since 1956 when World Player of the Year Award began;only one goal keeper has clinched it- Lev Yashin of Dynamo Moscow in 1963. Three other defenders, Franz Beckenbauer 1972 and 1976, Matthias Sammer 1996 and recently Italian World Cup winning Captain Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Nuer was nominated but came third after Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo in 2015.

Midfielder Riyad Mahrez of Algeria and Leicester City won this year’s African Player of the Year. The other nominees, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Borussia Dortmund), Sadio Mané (Senegal/Liverpool), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Roma), Islam Slimani (Algeria/Leicester City) are all attackers. I cannot remember a defender winning this award.

For a defensive player to win an award like the MVP, he must have done more than his normal call of duty on the field. This is about the press, coaches, and football administrators’ undervaluation of defensive players. The money paid out to acquire defenders and goalkeepers in the transfer market compared to midfielders and strikers tell the full story.

Everybody will notice the attacking side of the game because it is bound to create a goal. On the other side, very few people analyze defense side because in many cases it is about an opponent’s goal that did not occur. Teams will score very few goals compared to repulsed or cleared threats to their goal. This donkey work is done by the goalkeeper and defenders, yet the accolades will go to the scorer of that winning goal and the player who made the assist. No wonder the modern wing back must be able to attack up the flanks to be recognized.

This skewed analysis by football gatekeepers, denies us the full value of the defensive side of the beautiful game. I don’t believe Muguna performed way better than Ouma, the defender is a victim of a formed opinion in the world of football. In their book The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football Is Wrong, Chris Anderson and David Sally say that “forwards are loved, defenders are respected”. People vote for and adore people they love.

Manchester United and Manchester City have been given until 6pm on December 15 to provide observations on the alleged fracas following Sunday's derby at Old Trafford.

Runaway Premier League leaders City opened up an 11-point gap over second-placed United with their 2-1 weekend win.

Victory sparked mass celebrations from City, and United are understood to have taken exception to how their visitors conducted themselves in and around the dressing room area.

Milk and water are claimed to have been thrown at United boss Jose Mourinho after a reported confrontation with City goalkeeper Ederson, leading to an alleged altercation involving up to 20 players and staff in a crowded corridor.

The Football Association had been in touch with both clubs, but will now allow more time for additional information to be provided.

The FA said in a statement: 'Manchester United and Manchester City have both been given extra time to provide their observations following reports of an incident after Sunday's game.

'They now have until 6pm on Friday 15 December.'

United boss Mourinho stood his ground when pressed on the matter at the media conference ahead of Wednesday night's Premier League match against Bournemouth.

The Portuguese coach said Manchester City had showed how different they are to his players.

However, rival boss Pep Guardiola remains convinced his City stars have nothing to say sorry about, having offered an apology which seemed aimed to appease rather than accept any fault.

Mourinho said on Tuesday: 'The only thing I can say is that for me it was just a question of diversity - diversity in behaviours, diversity in education. Just that and nothing more than that.

'The diversity of behaviour, of opinion, of education.'

He added: 'You know, what we did in the Arsenal stadium (after winning 3-1 their earlier this month) it was completely diverse.

'What we did, what happened after that match, the way we behaved as winners... but no problem.'

Mourinho wanted to look ahead to Wednesday's match against Bournemouth and was frustrated the derby remained the main talking point.

Mourinho gave short shrift to another reporter bringing up claims that Romelu Lukaku had thrown a bottle in the skirmish, and said: 'Show evidence and punish him.'

When that was followed up with a question about whether he was confident his players behaved appropriately after the game, Mourinho said: 'I know. I am not confident, I know.'

City coach Mikel Arteta is understood to have suffered a cut to the face in the skirmish and Guardiola would not confirm any details of the alleged melee.

The Spaniard was adamant his players were well within their rights to try to enjoy their victory in their dressing room, but said he would be prepared to apologise if United considered the celebrations excessive.

Guardiola said ahead of Wednesday's trip to Swansea: 'Sometimes Manchester United made a lot, in the past, celebrations over City. It is part of everything.

'But if we were not correct, or something like that, then I apologise to all of Manchester United. Our intentions were not that.

'Our intentions were to celebrate, inside the locker room, our happiness because we were happy. If the people cannot understand that then I'm sorry.

'We were so happy, we won a derby. If in that way we offended United - not just one player, not (just) Jose - then I apologise. We have huge respect for our opponents - not just Manchester United, all the opponents.'

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Champions Gor Mahia have landed Equatorial Guinea side Leones Vegetarianos in the preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

This was confirmed after the draw being done by Confederation of African Football (Caf) on Wednesday December 13, 2017 during the meeting of Caf Interclubs Committee at Caf Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

K'Ogalo will be eyeing an improvement of their displays in 2016 where they were dumped out by CNaPs of Madagascar in the first round. They begin with a home fixture before travelling to Malabo for the second leg.

About Leones

Leones Vegetarianos Fútbol Club is an Equatoguinean football club based in the city of Malabo. It currently plays in Equatoguinean first division. The club was founded as Vegetarianos CF by the Spaniard Juan Manuel Rojas, a vegetarian man from Granada who arrived in Equatorial Guinea in 2001 and years later went to India, where he staged a hunger strike. Its rival club is Atlético Semu.

Leopards to face Malagasy side

Meanwhile, Gotv Shield Tournament Champions AFC Leopards will take on FOSA Juniors FC of Madagascar in the Confederation Cup. The first leg has been scheduled to take place between March 9 and 11 2018, with the return leg slated for between March 16 and 18.

Sofapaka forward Umaru Kasumba has praised Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa for bringing on board Stephen Waruru, stating tha he is relishing for the chance to work alongside the former Ulinzi Stars ace.

Waruru joined Sofapaka recently after dumping Ulinzi Stars, where he had called home for nearly seven years since joining the club from Thika United back in 2010. He had a strong start to the 2017 season by netting eleven goals, only but overtaken by several players in the scoring charts after losing the flame midway.

Kasumba on the other hand has been a gem for Batoto Ba Mungu since joining them in the 2017 mid-season transfer window. The Ugandan international went on to net twelve times and were it not for the injury that made him miss four matches in the latter stages, he would have strongly battled Masoud Juma for the Golden Boot.

The former SC Villa striker is however anxiously waiting for next season and had lots of praise for Waruru.

“I understand that my employers have brought on board Waruru and I must say this is one of the best things to have happened at Sofapaka,” Kasumba told the club's website in a phone conversation from his native Uganda, where he is on Christmas and New Year holidays.

He added: “Waruru is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Kenyan Premier League and It is my utmost belief that he will add value to Sofapaka’s goal hunt in the team’s quest to clinch the 2018 title.

“He (Waruru) is a dribbler per excellence and has an eye for goal and hopefully, we will form a striking partnership that will send chills down the spines of our opponents next season. May I take this early opportunity to congratulate Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa and the rest of the team’s management for this big signing,” said Kasumba.

Sofapaka will be seeking to improve on their second place finish and hopefully lift the title next season. The Sam Ssimbwa coached side finished the 2017 campaign with 55 points, 19 shy of champions Gor Mahia.

Alexandre Lacazette says Arsenal need a miracle to win the Premier League after finding themselves 17 points behind leaders Man City 16 games into the season.

Arsene Wenger's side have only picked up one point from their previous two games and will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive game without a win when they travel to West Ham on Wednesday night.

Lacazette, who has scored eight goals in 16 league games this season, admits Arsenal must focus on finishing in the top four after struggling for consistency in the early stages of the campaign.

"It would be really complicated to win it at this point," he said when asked about a potential tilt at the title.

"We would really need a miracle. City would need to lose a lot of their games and we know their record. But the goal in coming here was always to qualify for the Champions League and if we could get the title, fantastic."

The French international has made a strong start to life at Arsenal since making his club-record £52m move from Lyon and has revealed Wenger was the key factor behind his decision to move to England.

"It was really the meeting with the coach that made me want to come here, it was something I had thought about since I was little," he said.

"I had spoken about it a lot for many years with (Arsenal midfielder) Francis Coquelin but it was really all about that meeting with the coach.

"I benefit from his experience on a daily basis, especially his past and how he has worked with various strikers.

"We are always chatting about small things I can do to make little improvements. It will be a really nice record for him too."

Asked if Thierry Henry's success at the club acted as inspiration, Lacazette added: "I guess, in terms of inspiration I do admire him but I wouldn't want to copy him.

"Everyone has their own career, their own fate and everyone writes their own story."

Gor Mahia chairman, Ambrose Rachier, has expressed his delight in the new club constitution which was passed in an AGM on Sunday in Nairobi.

Rachier told Gor Mahia website that the new constitution will improve the status of the club in many ways as it has elements that can bring about development at all levels.

"I am happy for delivering a new constitution to Gor Mahia. It has been a tough process but we had to tighten all ends to make it a reality," noted the chairman.

"This is a constitution that will take Gor Mahia many steps ahead. Just to highlight, we have recognized the branches as part of the club's structure," he added.

With the new constitution, a new membership model has been considered and many fans will have the privilege of registering as members under various categories.

"We have adopted the Barcelona membership model which will be affordable to many fans. The model is viewed as one of the best and membership is one of the many ways the club can anchor itself on matters sustainability. We will advise fans on the membership drive very soon."

One of the biggest elements of the new constitution is also the reduction of number of elected club officials.

As opposed to the original constitution which had 11 elective positions, the new document has five elective positions and term of office bearers will now be four years not two years like in the previous case.

"In the new constitution, gender has been considered and the office bearers will have a four year term and only five elective positions. We will have the Chairman, Vice chairman, one Secretary General, Treasurer and Organizing Secretary.

"This is in-line with the Sports Act and Fifa regulations where we have also created room for the position of Chief Executive Officer, head of security and there will be someone appointed for finance department. The positions will be advertised and qualified individuals will be appointed."

The previous constitution existed for so many decades with a number of limitations which have now been expanded and well structured in the new document.

Event planners for the 5th edition of the Magharibi Michezo Awards (MMA) that has been slated for Saturday 23rd December in Bungoma County have released a list of nominees for the four hockey categories.

A trio of Kenya Simbas internationals namely Elkeans Musonye, George Nyambua and Davis Chenge are among the men’s nominees in the rugby category for the 2017 Magharibi Michezo Awards which will be held on Saturday 23rd December in Bungoma County.

Also making the nominees list in this category are Chrispin Shitundo and Leonard Mugaisi while Zeden Marrow , Derrick Keyoga and Ashiundu Derrick make the cut in the junior men’s nominee list.

Kenya Lionesses international Sheila Chajira is among the nominees in the women’s category.

Seniors

1.Elkeans Musonye(Strathmore Leos)

Musonye, a former winner of the Most Promising Player accolade at the MMAs transferred from western Bulls to Strathmore Leos helping the Varsity side to avoid Kenya Cup relegation in a season they had the worst performance.

Musonye would be called to the Kenya Simbas squad.

2.George Nyambua(Kabras Sugar)

Nyambua was one of the outstanding players in the 2016/2017 Kenya Cup season helping Kabras Sugar reach the Kenya Cup final.

Apart from captaining Kabras in the Kenya Cup final, Nyambua captained Kenya Simbas in a test against Hong Kong.

He also made the writer’s Kenya Cup team of the season.

3. CHRISPIN SHITUNDO(Western Bulls)

The Western Bulls star was one of the stars to watch in the national sevens circuit.

He made the Dala 7s team of the tournament and was one of the top scorers for the Championship side.

4.Davies Chenge(KCB)

Chenge returned from a lengthy injury lay-off to help KCB win the 2017 Kenya Cup. With the absence of Andrew Amonde, Chenge was the driving flanker for the bankers.

He returned to the Kenya Simbas where they finished second. He led the team to the tour of South Africa as the captain.

5.Leonard Mugaisi(Homeboyz)

A former MMA winner, Mugaisi led Homeboyz to two cups in the national sevens circuit. Mugaisi was also part of the Kenya Sevens and played a number of matches in the Kenya Cup helping Homeboyz reach the semis.

Most Promising

1.Zeden Marrow(Homeboyz)

The Homeboyz star is a former Bungoma High player who has taken the top tier rugby with a bang. Homeboyz head coach Paul Murunga once described him as ‘lion’. He played the 2017 national sevens circuit helping Homeboyz finish second.

2.Derric Keyoga(Menengai Oilers)

You can’t mention Menengai Oilers without mentioning Keyoga. He was one of the players who steered Oilers to Nationwide win without losing a single match.

Keyoga also helped Kenya Under 20 finish second in Africa and has since received a Kenya 7s call-up.

3.Derrick Ashiundu(Kakamega High)

The Kakamega High centre was on top of his game as Kakamega reclaimed the national title in 2017 beating Laiser Hill Academy.

He scored in the 18-14 win over Laiser after what was a successful week for him. Ashiundu went ahead to steer Kakamega to the regional title in Uganda.

4.Bethwel Anami (Strathmore Leos)

The former St.Peter’s Mumias flanker is one of the back-rowers to watch in the Kenya Cup this coming season

5.Hillary Odhimbo(Kabras Sugar)

If there is a player Kabras Sugar are not about to sell is Odhiambo. He plays as a second row and eight-man.

He joined Kabras Sugar immediately after finishing high school at Shamahoho Boys and went ahead to play in the Eric Shirley Shield as well as Enterprise Cup.

James McArthur scored an injury-time winner as Crystal Palace came from behind to seal a dramatic win in a Barclays Premier League match on Tuesday December 12, 2017.

A minute later Bakary Sako equalised before McArthur tucked the ball home from Wilfried Zaha’s cross. The victory took Palace out the bottom three for the first time this season.

Daryl Janmaat had earlier piled on the misery for Christian Benteke as the Crystal Palace striker attempted to make up for his penalty shocker.

Benteke had been warned by boss Roy Hodgson he needed to win over the fans after his spot-kick miss on Saturday against Bournemouth. The mixed reception when the striker’s name was read out before kick-off confirmed the matter was not closed for some supporters.

A late tackle on Janmaat stopped the wing-back from getting a clear sight of goal before a vital touch by the Hornets skipper steered Richarlison’s low cross wide.

While Hodgson’s side were clinging on at the back, they made precious little headway against a formidable Watford backline.

Silva had been frustrated Marvin Zeegelaar failed to have his red card on Saturday overturned but Sebastian Prodl stepped in to fill the gap.

Manchester United and Manchester City have been given until 6pm on December 15 to provide observations on the alleged fracas following Sunday's derby at Old Trafford.

Runaway Premier League leaders City opened up an 11-point gap over second-placed United with their 2-1 weekend win.

Victory sparked mass celebrations from City, and United are understood to have taken exception to how their visitors conducted themselves in and around the dressing room area.

Milk and water are claimed to have been thrown at United boss Jose Mourinho after a reported confrontation with City goalkeeper Ederson, leading to an alleged altercation involving up to 20 players and staff in a crowded corridor.

The Football Association had been in touch with both clubs, but will now allow more time for additional information to be provided.

The FA said in a statement: 'Manchester United and Manchester City have both been given extra time to provide their observations following reports of an incident after Sunday's game.

'They now have until 6pm on Friday 15 December.'

United boss Mourinho stood his ground when pressed on the matter at the media conference ahead of Wednesday night's Premier League match against Bournemouth.

The Portuguese coach said Manchester City had showed how different they are to his players.

However, rival boss Pep Guardiola remains convinced his City stars have nothing to say sorry about, having offered an apology which seemed aimed to appease rather than accept any fault.

Mourinho said on Tuesday: 'The only thing I can say is that for me it was just a question of diversity - diversity in behaviours, diversity in education. Just that and nothing more than that.

'The diversity of behaviour, of opinion, of education.'

He added: 'You know, what we did in the Arsenal stadium (after winning 3-1 their earlier this month) it was completely diverse.

'What we did, what happened after that match, the way we behaved as winners... but no problem.'

Mourinho wanted to look ahead to Wednesday's match against Bournemouth and was frustrated the derby remained the main talking point.

Mourinho gave short shrift to another reporter bringing up claims that Romelu Lukaku had thrown a bottle in the skirmish, and said: 'Show evidence and punish him.'

When that was followed up with a question about whether he was confident his players behaved appropriately after the game, Mourinho said: 'I know. I am not confident, I know.'

City coach Mikel Arteta is understood to have suffered a cut to the face in the skirmish and Guardiola would not confirm any details of the alleged melee.

The Spaniard was adamant his players were well within their rights to try to enjoy their victory in their dressing room, but said he would be prepared to apologise if United considered the celebrations excessive.

Guardiola said ahead of Wednesday's trip to Swansea: 'Sometimes Manchester United made a lot, in the past, celebrations over City. It is part of everything.

'But if we were not correct, or something like that, then I apologise to all of Manchester United. Our intentions were not that.

'Our intentions were to celebrate, inside the locker room, our happiness because we were happy. If the people cannot understand that then I'm sorry.

'We were so happy, we won a derby. If in that way we offended United - not just one player, not (just) Jose - then I apologise. We have huge respect for our opponents - not just Manchester United, all the opponents.'

Alexandre Lacazette says Arsenal need a miracle to win the Premier League after finding themselves 17 points behind leaders Man City 16 games into the season.

Arsene Wenger's side have only picked up one point from their previous two games and will be hoping to avoid a third consecutive game without a win when they travel to West Ham on Wednesday night.

Lacazette, who has scored eight goals in 16 league games this season, admits Arsenal must focus on finishing in the top four after struggling for consistency in the early stages of the campaign.

"It would be really complicated to win it at this point," he said when asked about a potential tilt at the title.

"We would really need a miracle. City would need to lose a lot of their games and we know their record. But the goal in coming here was always to qualify for the Champions League and if we could get the title, fantastic."

The French international has made a strong start to life at Arsenal since making his club-record £52m move from Lyon and has revealed Wenger was the key factor behind his decision to move to England.

"It was really the meeting with the coach that made me want to come here, it was something I had thought about since I was little," he said.

"I had spoken about it a lot for many years with (Arsenal midfielder) Francis Coquelin but it was really all about that meeting with the coach.

"I benefit from his experience on a daily basis, especially his past and how he has worked with various strikers.

"We are always chatting about small things I can do to make little improvements. It will be a really nice record for him too."

Asked if Thierry Henry's success at the club acted as inspiration, Lacazette added: "I guess, in terms of inspiration I do admire him but I wouldn't want to copy him.

"Everyone has their own career, their own fate and everyone writes their own story."

James McArthur scored an injury-time winner as Crystal Palace came from behind to seal a dramatic win in a Barclays Premier League match on Tuesday December 12, 2017.

A minute later Bakary Sako equalised before McArthur tucked the ball home from Wilfried Zaha’s cross. The victory took Palace out the bottom three for the first time this season.

Daryl Janmaat had earlier piled on the misery for Christian Benteke as the Crystal Palace striker attempted to make up for his penalty shocker.

Benteke had been warned by boss Roy Hodgson he needed to win over the fans after his spot-kick miss on Saturday against Bournemouth. The mixed reception when the striker’s name was read out before kick-off confirmed the matter was not closed for some supporters.

A late tackle on Janmaat stopped the wing-back from getting a clear sight of goal before a vital touch by the Hornets skipper steered Richarlison’s low cross wide.

While Hodgson’s side were clinging on at the back, they made precious little headway against a formidable Watford backline.

Silva had been frustrated Marvin Zeegelaar failed to have his red card on Saturday overturned but Sebastian Prodl stepped in to fill the gap.

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will never match the spending of some teams in Europe, but insists an inability to spend "hundreds of millions of pounds" on players will not stop his side from embracing their Europa League campaign.

Unseeded Celtic take on Zenit St Petersburg in the round of 32 and will play the first leg of their tie at home before making a trip to Zenit Arena in Russia; one of the 2018 World Cup venues.

Their Champions League journey brought five defeats and one win in Group B, but a 1-0 loss to Anderlecht was enough to see the Scottish champions qualify for the Europa League, and the manager says his men are ready for the challenge.

"We're in the competition, so we're going to play against the likes of these teams and it's up to us to try and somehow find a way to bridge the gap," said Rodgers.

"Celtic will never be a club that's going to go out and spend hundreds of millions of pounds in getting in these, some of the world-class players.

"That's not where we're at.

"But we have got some very good players and we've got a great structure at the club that allows the club to be stable and financially sufficient and allows us to go on and achieve what we aim to achieve domestically, and of course to then go on and be able to qualify for European football.

"That will bring us, of course, in against some of the giants of the game.

"But we have to embrace that."

The Hoops have sat five points clear of at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a record unbeaten domestic run of 68 games.

They took the first step towards successive domestic trebles by retaining the Scottish League Cup with a 2-0 win over Motherwell last month.

Despite their domestic domination, Rodgers knows Zenit will prove a different kind of challenge on the bigger stage.

"It's a really exciting time at the club for me, in terms of being here and being the manager here, and everything that's going on," said Rodgers.

"We're into the Europa League now. We take on a team that's got some really good players and an excellent manager.

"It's an exciting draw. You look at some of the teams that you could play. There is never an easy game. Teams get through for a reason, so they're at that stage because they're a good side.

"There are some other clubs of course with a great history in the game. Zenit will be a tough game for us, but it's a game that we will look forward to when it comes around."

Rodgers recalled how he almost joined Zenit St Petersburg head coach Roberto Mancini as a first-team coach at Manchester City, before taking charge of Swansea in 2010.

"When I was rejected as a manager at Reading and was in between jobs, I didn't think I was going to get a manager's job," the former Liverpool boss said.

"I was in talks with Manchester City about maybe going back there as a first-team coach. I spoke to the club, all went well and I flew out to Milan to meet Roberto.

"We had a nice chat and it ended up that not long after that I got the job at Swansea as a manager. We have come across each other since. He is a good, nice guy."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he does not want to make an issue of the team's recent bad starts as it could affect the confidence of the players, and accused Southampton of time-wasting after the 1-1 draw at St Mary's on Sunday.

Arsenal repeated their poor start from last week against Manchester United as Per Mertesacker gave the ball away after just three minutes, setting up a quick attack for Southampton that was finished off by Charlie Austin.

The Gunners struggled to create chances for much of the game until substitute Olivier Giroud headed home an equaliser in the 88th minute, but his side still remain outside the Premier League's top four.

Arsenal conceded two similar goals in the first 11 minutes in the 3-1 loss to United last weekend, and Wenger admitted that may have had an effect on his players.

"I felt that we played with an excellent spirit," Wenger told BT Sport. "But in the last two weeks, unfortunately we dropped points in the last two games for bad starts -- we are caught straight away. And after, it's difficult.

"Of course you're concerned, but you don't want to make too big a problem of it because it takes belief and confidence away from the players. I think you could see today that last week had an influence on today's start of the game. The players wanted to start strong, and overall I believe it took us time to get into the game again."

Wenger singled out Southampton's time wasting in the second half as a problem, and said Premier League referees have to crack down harder on such efforts.

"I feel the wasting of time becomes a real problem in England, and the referees have not found the answer yet," Wenger said. "The answer is the authority of the referees. First of all, I think it's in the head of the players to respect the game, and to play. And secondly, the authority of the referees to act early in the game, because it becomes really a problem in the last two seasons."

Giroud's goal was his 17th as a substitute in the Premier League, tying the record held by former United forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Giroud has yet to start any league game this season, but Wenger paid tribute to the striker's ability to deliver off the bench when it matters.

"I think he has come back into a very good shape, he has shown that again today. He is mentally extremely strong as well," Wenger said. "It's a remarkable achievement what he has done again today."

Popular Articles

The gambling industry is growing rapidly in Kenya. We could be competing with the West African nations. Since last year, the country has witnessed over 10 bookmakers join the industry with each contesting for a piece of the pie.

Those who love him, love him with so much passion. Those who hate him, also do so with the same gusto. If a book on ‘The most hated footballers’ were ever to be written, several chapters would be dedicated to him.

Rayon Sports Club have confirmed that former Sofapaka and Amavubi goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana is no more. Unconfirmed reports claim that a heart attack on Tuesday September 12 at his home was the cause of his death.

Mutuyimana started professional football with Rwandese side Kiyovu Sport before joining Police Kibungo in 2011.The 26-year old then moved to Kenyan side Sofapaka in June 2014 where he played for three seasons. He later moved to Rayon SC, where he was the reserve goalkeeper until his demise.

Mutuyimana has also featured for the Rwanda national team, his most notable appearance being in a 5-1 loss to Tunisia in an International Friendly back in May 2012.

“As Rayon Sports officials, we want convey our message of condolences to all the club fans and family following the death of goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana this Tuesday morning.” his club posted on social media.

He is the Kenyan version of Portuguese super agent Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes. He is many things to many people, and recently added another feather to his cap by venturing into player and coaches representation. Starting off as a journalist, he grew through the ranks to become a Television producer, took the big risk and ventured into football administration, before jumping ship to start what has been a largely successful venture of talent management.

The day is September 26th 2010. Kenya U-20 coach Vince Ombiji brought on a young and promising player as the national junior side took on Lesotho. The rookie had an almost immediate impact, as he ran down the Lesotho defense rugged. Fleet foot works, pacy and pin point crosses made him a darling to the fans instantly. Kenya’s next big thing was alive.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has landed 0.75 billion shillings from FIFA in a grant that is aimed to make the federation set up and manage their inhouse media activities.

Kenyanstar has learnt from sources privy to the deal that the world governing body has agreed to hand the Federation a grant of USD 7.5M to set up their own media production for the league matches.

The news coming barely weeks after Supersport suspended their broadcast deal with Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and later on laying off staff earlier on this week, will be welcome to the soccer industry.

FKF president has been in the news saying how FKF and the KPL would be produced in-house and availed for free to air (FTA) TV channels.

To reduce pressure in starting up, our sources say, FKF will absorb the staff that were working for Supersport to do the production and there is likelihood they may buy the studio Supersport had set up in Nairobi.

Rayon Sports Club have confirmed that former Sofapaka and Amavubi goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana is no more. Unconfirmed reports claim that a heart attack on Tuesday September 12 at his home was the cause of his death.

Mutuyimana started professional football with Rwandese side Kiyovu Sport before joining Police Kibungo in 2011.The 26-year old then moved to Kenyan side Sofapaka in June 2014 where he played for three seasons. He later moved to Rayon SC, where he was the reserve goalkeeper until his demise.

Mutuyimana has also featured for the Rwanda national team, his most notable appearance being in a 5-1 loss to Tunisia in an International Friendly back in May 2012.

“As Rayon Sports officials, we want convey our message of condolences to all the club fans and family following the death of goalkeeper Evariste Mutuyimana this Tuesday morning.” his club posted on social media.

Following the news that Serena Williams was two months pregnant when she won the Grand Slam, Rev. Fred Nile MP, has called for the world champion to be stripped of the title, claiming “foetal personhood” means she was unfairly advantaged.

“She was playing doubles in a singles tournament!” Nile screamed at the ‘Day of the Unborn Child’ protest.

“I believe that ‘life at conception’ should be the law, and that clearly means two people won the Grand Slam,” said Nile, who is both an avid fan of professional tennis and aggressively campaigning to legislate how people use their uterus.

“That’s clearly against the rules!”

However, feminists argue Nile’s view that pregnancy is a sporting advantage shows ignorance to the realities facing those who are pregnant.

“Serena Williams was in control of her own body during the Grand Slam tournament, and as such has the right to her title, and the right, always, to bodily autonomy”, said Immy Grantson, an outspoken activist campaigning for progress on women’s issues.

“Williams, like all people, has the right to choose what she does with her body: whether that be powerful backhands, and/or be pregnant”, said Grantson.

This comes at a crucial time in New South Wales legislation. Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi’s End12 Campaign hopes to make it legal for world class athletes to choose whether or not they are pregnant.

When asked for comment by The Garter Press, Venus Williams, who lost to Serena Williams under the now contentious circumstances, said she was “excited to be an aunt”.

Tanzanian government have informed SportPesa Limited that they also want to see a Tanzanian team play against Everton on July 12 at the National Stadium. Gor Mahia are the ones with the opportunity after winning the SportPesa Super Cup finals.

Director of Sports Development in the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Yusuph Singo confirmed that they have asked the betting firm to organize a friendly match between Everton and one of Tanzania's bigwigs.

``We have asked them (SportPesa) to organse a special friendly match between Yanga and Simba later this month,'' said Singo.

``If all goes well, the winner of the match will confront Everton at the National Stadium. I am sure many local soccer fans would like to see the English Premier League team face one of the top teams in the country,'' he added.

Former Inter Milan midfielder McDonald Mariga has come out to praise the Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino for the key role he has paid in developing the career of his brother Victor Wanyama.

The Kenyan International skipper has been a vital part of the Spurs midfield, prove of just how much Pochettino trusts Wanyama. Big Vic first played under the Argentine gaffer at Southampton and were later reunited at Tottenham last summer.

“He (Wanyama) said Pochettino is the coach who has made him. He’s the one who, when Victor came to Southampton, he taught him what to do and how to play, all the things. He’s the one who taught him everything and made even more qualities for Victor. He gave him exposure and confidence. If you don’t have confidence from the coach, you cannot perform well. He’s helped him a lot,” Mariga told ESPN.

Pochettino’s favorite 3-4-2-1 formation has suited Wanyama perfectly as he provides cover to the wing backs when they move forward to attack, something that has put Wanyama in favor with both the manager and the Spurs supporters.

The midfielder will be expected to take his spot back in the starting XI for the FA Cup semi-final meeting with Chelsea at Wembley this Saturday evening after a minor injury.

As the title race stiffens and Spurs still on track for the cup glory, Wanyama may just be the rock Tottenham needs to win the first trophy in over years.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have released fixtures for the 2018 African Nations Championships (CHAN) that is set to be held in Kenya in January.

CHAN is a football tournament which was first announced on 11 September 2007. It is administered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is played between the best national teams of Africa, exclusively featuring players who are active in the national championships and qualified to play in the ongoing season. Expatriate players, regardless of where they play, even in Africa, are not qualified to take part in the African Championship of Nations.

The first tournament was held in 2009. It was hosted by Ivory Coast and won by The Democratic Republic of the Congo. The competition was expanded to 16 teams for the second tournament, held in Sudan in 2011. The tournament was won by Tunisia, in the wake of the Tunisian Revolution. The tournament is held every two years, alternating with the Africa Cup of Nations.

The fixtures have been divided into four groups; West zone A, West Zone B, Central East Zone and Southern Zone. Teams in both West Zones will be playing in their second round of the qualifiers while those in Central East and Southern Zones will be competing in the first round.

In West Zone A, Sierra Leone face Senegal while Guinea clash with neighbours Guinea-Bissau on Saturday July 15, 2017 with the return matches expected to be played a fortnight later.

In West Zone B, Togo will battle it out with Benin on Sunday July 16, 2017 with the return match a week later in Cotonou, Benin.

Four fixtures will be staged in Central East Zone with South Sudan lined up against Uganda, Tanzania with Rwanda and Djibouti with Ethiopia.

In Southern East Zone, Botswana host South Africa on Saturday 15 July while Zimbabwe visit Namibia a day later.

Work has been completed on the first proposed venue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - the Khalifa International Stadium. More than five years before the tournament kicks off, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has confirmed extensive renovations on the 40,000-seater venue are now finished.

The renovations include the installation of revolutionary cooling technology promised during Qatar's successful bid, which will keep the pitch at an optimum 26 degrees and the stands somewhere between 24 and 28 degrees.

SC secretary general H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi said: "The completion of our first stadium more than five years before the Qatar World Cup begins is an important milestone that reflects our determination to deliver a tournament the entire Arab world is proud to be a part of.

"As we promised in our bid, our innovative stadiums offer an unrivalled experience to fans and players alike. I'm proud we can show these off to the world and welcome fans with the hospitality this World Cup will be remembered for."

The stadium, originally constructed in 1976, will first host the 2017 Emir Cup final on Friday and will also be the venue for the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

Qatar Football Association (QFA) president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani added: "Khalifa International Stadium is close to Qatari hearts and has seen some of Qatar's biggest sporting occasions over the years since it was first launched in 1976.

"It is therefore a fitting venue for the biggest match of Qatar's football calendar, the 2017 Emir Cup final between Al Rayyan and Al Sadd, and we look forward to welcoming fans into the magnificent remodelled stadium on Friday evening."

Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has described joining Crystal Palace as the “worst decision” of his career.

The 33-year-old Togolese striker is currently playing for Turkish side ?stanbul Ba?ak?ehir after being released by the Eagles in the summer of 2016.

Adebayor signed a six-month deal with Palace at the beginning of 2016 – a decision he says he would reverse if given the opportunity.

“I had some great experiences in England in clubs who are among the best in the country,” he told L’Équipe, as reported by the Daily Mirror.

“I was happy there, my family too. The only error that I made was to sign for Crystal Palace in January 2016.

“I did it just to please my entourage, who were saying to me: ‘Manu, you have to start playing again!’ It was the worst decision of my career.”

He would played 15 senior matches for Palace under then boss Alan Pardew scoring once in a losing effort to Watford.

It turned out to be his worst return for a single club since turning professional nearly 20 years ago with hometown side AC Merlan Lome.

Prior to relocating to Selhurst Park, the enigmatic centre-forward had already plied his trade with three different English clubs, most notably Arsenal from whom he joined Manchester City before returning to North London with Tottenham Hotspur.

In his first season with Ba?ak?ehir, the former Monaco man, has managed to register six goals across 11 league appearances including a hat-trick against Galatasaray.

Sign up via our free email subscription service to receive notifications when new articles are posted.